Time division duplex (TDD) uplink downlink (UL-DL) reconfiguration

Abstract

An evolved node (eNB) operable to transmit a Time Division Duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink (UL-DL) reconfiguration in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) is disclosed. The eNB can receive, from a user equipment (UE), a UE capability report that indicates the UE supports a TDD UL-DL reconfiguration functionality. The eNB can transmit, to the UE, a configuration to enable TDD UL-DL reconfiguration at the UE. The eNB can transmit, to the UE, a TDD UL-DL reconfiguration signal in a downlink control information (DCI) message. The UE can be configured to update a TDD UL-DL configuration of the UE based on the TDD UL-DL reconfiguration signal transmitted on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in preconfigured downlink or special (DL/S) subframes by the eNB.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus of an eNodeB operable to perform Enhanced Interference Mitigation & Traffic Adaptation (eIMTA), the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:
 select, at the eNodeB, a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) used for eIMTA; 
 select, at the eNodeB, a periodicity for monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with the RNTI used for eIMTA; 
 select, at the eNodeB, a set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA within the periodicity; and 
 encode, at the eNodeB for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the RNTI used for eIMTA, the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA, and the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit to the UE:
 the RNTI used for eIMTA; 
 the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA; and 
 the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising memory configured to store: the RNTI used for eIMTA, the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA, and the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 process an uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration received from a second eNodeB, wherein the UL-DL configuration is utilized by the second eNodeB; and 
 select an UL-DL configuration for eIMTA based on the UL-DL configuration received from the second eNodeB. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is represented using a defined number of bits, wherein a bit value of “1” indicates that the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to be monitored by the UE, and a bit value of “0” indicates that the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to not be monitored by the UE. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA includes downlink subframes indicated by an UL-DL configuration in a system information block  1  (SIB 1 ). 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the downlink subframes indicated by the UL-DL configuration in the SIB 1  is for time division duplexing (TDD). 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is one of: 10 milliseconds (ms), 20 ms, 40 ms or 80 ms. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus of a user equipment (UE) operable perform Enhanced Interference Mitigation & Traffic Adaptation (eIMTA), the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:
 process, at the UE, an eIMTA configuration received from an eNodeB, wherein the eIMTA configuration includes: 
 a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) used for eIMTA; 
 a periodicity for monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with the RNTI used for eIMTA; and 
 a set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA; and 
 monitor, at the UE, the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA in the set of subframes indicated in the eIMTA configuration. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a transceiver configured to receive the eIMTA configuration from the eNodeB. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising memory configured to store the eIMTA configuration from the eNodeB. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is represented using a defined number of bits, wherein a bit value of “1” indicates that the PDDCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to be monitored by the UE, and a bit value of “0” indicates that the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to not be monitored by the UE. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA includes downlink subframes indicated by an uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration in a system information block  1  (SIB 1 ), and the downlink subframes indicated by the UL-DL configuration in the SIB 1  is for time division duplexing (TDD). 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is one of: 10 milliseconds (ms), 20 ms, 40 ms or 80 ms. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the UE includes at least one of: an antenna, a display screen, a speaker, a microphone, a graphics processor, an application processor, an internal memory, or a non-volatile memory port. 
     
     
       16. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for performing Enhanced Interference Mitigation & Traffic Adaptation (eIMTA) at an eNodeB, the instructions when executed by one or more processors at the eNodeB perform the following:
 selecting, at the eNodeB, a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) used for eIMTA; 
 selecting, at the eNodeB, a periodicity for monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with the RNTI used for eIMTA; 
 selecting, at the eNodeB, a set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA within the periodicity; and 
 encoding, at the eNodeB for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the RNTI used for eIMTA, the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA, and the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA. 
 
     
     
       17. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising instructions when executed perform the following:
 processing an uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration received from a second eNodeB, wherein the UL-DL configuration is utilized by the second eNodeB; and 
 selecting an UL-DL configuration for eIMTA based on the UL-DL configuration received from the second eNodeB. 
 
     
     
       18. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is represented using a defined number of bits, wherein a bit value of “1” indicates that the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to be monitored by the UE, and a bit value of “0” indicates that the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to not be monitored by the UE. 
     
     
       19. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA includes downlink subframes indicated by an UL-DL configuration in a system information block  1  (SIB 1 ), and the downlink subframes indicated by the UL-DL configuration in the SIB 1  is for time division duplexing (TDD). 
     
     
       20. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is one of: 10 milliseconds (ms), 20 ms, 40 ms or 80 ms. 
     
     
       21. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for performing Enhanced Interference Mitigation & Traffic Adaptation (eIMTA) at a user equipment (UE), the instructions when executed by one or more processors at the UE perform the following:
 processing, at the UE, an eIMTA configuration received from an eNodeB, wherein the eIMTA configuration includes:
 a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) used for eIMTA; 
 a periodicity for monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with the RNTI used for eIMTA; and 
 a set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA; and 
 
 monitoring, at the UE, the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA in the set of subframes indicated in the eIMTA configuration. 
 
     
     
       22. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA is represented using a defined number of bits, wherein a bit value of “1” indicates that the PDDCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to be monitored by the UE, and a bit value of “0” indicates that the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA on a corresponding subframe is to not be monitored by the UE. 
     
     
       23. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the set of subframes to monitor the PDCCH with the RNTI used for eIMTA includes downlink subframes indicated by an uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration in a system information block  1  (SIB 1 ), and the downlink subframes indicated by the UL-DL configuration in the SIB 1  is for time division duplexing (TDD). 
     
     
       24. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the periodicity for monitoring the PDCCH the RNTI used for eIMTA is one of: 10 milliseconds (ms), 20 ms, 40 ms or 80 ms.